"Whether your horse is simply for pleasure or is taking on an international field, Bronwyn Watts can help him deliver his optimal performance wherever your path may lead." - Laine Ashker
Horses, like any athlete, need proper maintenance in order to perform to their best ability. Effective therapeutic massage uses the therapist’s knowledge to assist in the relationship between each rider and horse. This can truly help both horse and rider to work together in a more complete harmonious, partnership. Some benefits include:
Reducing injury potential
Enhanced muscle tone
Encouraging horse's willingness to perform
Like humans, the most common cause of muscle soreness in horses is overuse/misuse and not enough stretching.
60% of the horse's body weight is muscle, so cooling down too fast in addition to structural imbalance can cause muscle injury. X-rays do not show muscle damage, so sometimes actual damage in muscle can go undetected. Furthermore, if one set of muscles are tight, the surrounding muscles tense up to compensate building up more tension in the body.